


What Binds Us

by raidelle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Arranged Marriage, Falling In Love, Fleurentia, Idiots in Love, M/M, Other FFXV Characters Make Guest Appearances, Ravus Week 2018, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-08-14 04:42:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16486100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raidelle/pseuds/raidelle
Summary: In which an arranged marriage between Ravus and Ignis is one of the Empire's demands for a ceasefire and a new peace treaty. Ravus isn't particularly happy about the situation but one blazing, determined look from Ignis and he suddenly feels a little more at ease.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ravus Week 2018, Day 5: Arranged Marriage | Everybody Lives AU
> 
> I originally intended this to be a one-shot, but Ravus won't allow it, so I'm going to use the other two days to flesh this story out. :)
> 
> (I'm leaving the chapter count blank for now, though, because knowing how my brain works, there's probably going to be more ideas coming.)

“But why, Mother? I don’t understand.”

Ravus tried his best not to sound petulant. He was a twenty-six-year-old man, Astrals damn it, not a child. But the way they made this decision for him, without even telling him about it or asking for his opinion, he may as well have been a hapless little boy.

“Would you rather your sister be given away?” Sylva asked.

Ravus’s eyes flashed with hurt. “That’s unfair, Mother.” He would do anything and everything, right or wrong, for Lunafreya.

The Queen of Tenebrae sighed. “Luna has been deemed too important by the Empire,” she said. “Too big a bargaining chip.”

“That’s what we are to them now? Bargaining chips for their stupid --” He stopped himself before he could say anything more.

“Ravus, please. Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

Queen Sylva rarely used that pleading voice when the two of them spoke like this, because she knew how much power it held over him. But she used it now and he hated every word that came out with that tone.

Ravus closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to rein in his temper. “When do I leave?”

“Two weeks from today. The Royal Family of Lucis has very kindly arranged everything for you… for us.”

He scoffed at the change of pronouns. He may carry the Nox Fleuret name, but it was surely only he who would endure this. He took a deep breath again before speaking. “The Royal Family? I don’t see how or why they should be as involved. I’m going to marry a noble, not a royal.”

“Ah,” Queen Sylva said and Ravus was filled with trepidation. “The person to whom you’ve been betrothed is close to the Lucis Caelums.”

“And who might that person be?” Ravus grit his teeth. He’s been kept out of the dark for too long, despite him being a member of a noble house and a military commander at that, and it needed to stop. Right now.

“Ravus, please understand that Insomnia is --”

“Mother!” he very nearly snarled. “Just tell me who it is.”

“It’s Prince Noctis’s advisor. Ignis Scientia.”

  


* * *

  


Sixteen days later, Ravus found himself being led down a long marble corridor toward his impending doom. It was only a meeting, of course, but it felt that way. Every step echoed loudly against the marble, and the sound reverberated in his brain like an insistent death knell.

“Here we are, Your Highness,” said his attendant, a young Tenebraean immigrant named Lillian. The honorific grated at his nerves, but he’d quickly given up asking her to call him Ravus when she gave him a stony glare so reminiscent of Luna. “Would you like to take a moment before you head inside?”

“No, thank you,” he said. The words came out clipped, which was unacceptably rude, but he couldn’t muster any politeness when his heart was beating wildly in his throat.

Ravus wasn’t usually a nervous man. He was usually calm and cool, to the point of being aloof. There were very few things that could faze him and it would seem that the idea of himself being bound -- even by something as flimsy as a signed piece of paper -- is one of those things.

Lillian merely nodded at him before she swung the ominous-looking black-and-gold doors open. “His Highness, Prince Ravus of Tenebrae to see you, Your Majesty.”

Eight people were already in the room, and they all rose as he entered. There was the King at the head of the table, the Lord Shield Amicitia standing on his right. Queen Aulea and Prince Noctis were on the King’s left, the Prince’s own Shield -- Gladiolus, according to the dossier he’d been given -- next to them.

Across the Prince sat Ravus’s… fiancè, he supposed. His intended. Ignis Scientia, whose face was schooled into a neutral expression, was flanked by Cor Leonis and Monica Elshett. Their presence and the way they turned their bodies as if to protect Ignis from something -- from him -- made Ravus bristle.

“It’s good to see you, Ravus,” the King said, his clear voice cutting through the fog of tense awkwardness permeating the room.

Ravus cleared his throat before replying. “Likewise, Your Majesty.” He bowed deep from the waist and took the opportunity to affect an innocuous mien similar to Ignis’s before bowing to the Queen and the Prince in turn.

Queen Aulea smiled indulgently. “How are you Ravus? Do forgive us if we haven’t been good hosts. We’ve all been caught in a flurry of urgent affairs.”

The words nearly made Ravus’s careful affectations slip. “Urgent affairs” most probably included this farce. “It’s quite alright, Your Majesty. I understand,” he said. Because what else was he supposed to say?

An uneasy silence lasted for two heartbeats before King Regis took it upon himself to break the tension again. “Well then.” He motioned for everyone to take their seats before continuing. “I suppose everyone knows why we’re all here.”

Everyone nodded. Noctis and Gladiolus, Ravus noted, looked deeply unhappy and it both puzzled and vexed him. It’s not as if they were the ones whose freedoms were being stifled, after all.

“Ravus Nox Fleuret and Ignis Scientia are to be wed as part of the New Lucian Concord,” the King continued. “The situation has enough intricacies on its own, but further complicating it is the… recent death of Ignis’s uncle.”

Ravus’s brows furrowed almost involuntarily. “I’m sorry for your loss, truly,” he said. Ignis spared him a quick but grateful look. “But how does this affect the… our arrangement?”

“The age of independent consent for marriages in Insomnia is twenty-three. Ignis is twenty. He would need a parent or an appointed guardian to bear witness to the union or it would not be binding.”

“That’s ridiculous,” was all Ravus could say.

“Indeed.” Regis sighed sadly. “But it is the law and it is what we have to work with. The death of Aeolus Scientia leaves Ignis without a legal guardian and therefore no one as his witness. At least at the moment.”

Ravus couldn’t help it; he blew an exasperated breath and wiped a hand down his face. “Is the Empire aware of this law? And of Mr. Scientia’s passing? It wouldn’t be out of character for Aldercapt to take advantage of this situation and back you into a corner.”

“It seems that way.” Regis sighed again. “This leaves us with two options. One is to choose another marriageable candidate and ask the Empire to reconsider --”

“I’ve already expressed my views about this, Your Majesty,” Ignis cut in.

“Of course, Ignis. I’m merely presenting the options to Ravus so that he may weigh in as well,” the King said reasonably.

“What’s the other option?”

The King turned his heavy gaze on a frowning Cor Leonis and Ravus felt a deep sense of foreboding. “The other option is to wait for the document declaring a new legal guardian for Ignis. They have already been appointed by the Family Council and it’s only a matter of time, perhaps just a couple of days more, before it is made official. And then we can ask them to bear witness.”

“I still think the first option’s the better one,” Cor growled, to enthusiastic nods from Noctis and Gladiolus. “Not that anyone’s actually asked for my opinion.”

Oh, Shiva have mercy. Ravus stifled a groan. _That’s_ why Cor the Immortal was here.

“Marshal, please,” Ignis said and his carefully composed facade crumbled.

“The Crownsguard takes care of its own, Ignis. I won’t marry you off against your will in exchange for a few years of tenuous peace,” Cor said. Behind the King, the Lord Shield nodded gravely. “I won’t unless there’s no other choice. And right now, we still do. Find someone else, Regis.”

The King turned to address Ravus. “What are your thoughts?” he asked, pointedly ignoring Cor for the moment. “I have half a mind to just wait for Ignis to turn twenty-three, but I’m afraid the Empire wouldn’t be quite so generous with time.”

He looked at the Marshal’s stern visage and Ravus thought he’d have an easier time mowing down an entire battalion of MTs by himself than convincing Cor Leonis to witness this disaster in the making.

Then he looked at Ignis, who had cast a determined gaze on him. Green eyes were blazing with shocking intensity, and Ravus found it difficult to look away.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ravus finally spoke. His eyes were still focused on Ignis as he said, “I doubt the Empire picked Ignis at random, so I also doubt they’d be satisfied with a replacement.” He turned to Cor and continued, “You had better practice your signature, Marshal.”

Ignis smiled at him then, just a tiny curve of his lips, and Ravus suddenly felt a little more at ease with the whole debacle.

He’d ponder on all the things he thought of and how he felt about that little smile later. Right now, he had to deal with angry Lucian noblemen and a lot of paperwork.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Say hi to me on tumblr! I'm [@raidelle](https://raidelle.tumblr.com) there, too! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravus and Ignis share a lovely breakfast together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ravus Week 2018, Day 6: Casual Clothes
> 
> A more casual chapter to suit the prompt. I hope you enjoy reading. :)

It had been a week since the meeting that irrevocably bound Ravus’s fate to Ignis Scientia’s. Since then, the two of them had been moved to connecting rooms in the Citadel’s residential wing, have had two formal dinners with the King and Queen, and have reviewed and signed what felt like a thousand pages of documents.

Today was the first day that Ravus had any sort of free time -- a whole morning of it, in fact -- and he’d been contemplating whether or not to ask Ignis for suggestions on what to do when a knock on the connecting door interrupted his thoughts.

“Ravus? May I come in?”

“Go ahead.” He tied his hair into a short ponytail, brushed away non-existent lint from his henley, and turned just in time to see Ignis blinking at him in a sort of dazed confusion.

The gaze made Ravus uncharacteristically self-conscious. He knew the casual ensemble of shirt, jeans, and boots were a departure from his usual attire, but did it really look that quite ridiculous on him? “What?” he said irritably.

“What?” Ignis echoed blankly.

Ravus raised his eyebrows. “You’re the one who asked if you could come in.”

“Oh!” Ignis snapped out of his daze with a little jolt. He stole one last head-to-toe look at Ravus and said, “I was just… I was wondering if you would like to have breakfast together? I saw your schedule and noticed that we both have a few hours free this morning.”

“You saw my schedule?”

“I… yes. I asked Lillian if I could take a quick look and I apologize if it’s a terrible intrusion of your privacy. I only wanted to --”

“It’s fine.” He waved a dismissive hand. Then he realized his lack of manners so he added, “Breakfast sounds wonderful, thank you.”

“We can dine outside, if you’d like,” Ignis offered. “Insomnia’s weather isn’t conducive for sylleblossoms but the east garden’s sweet peas are in full bloom right now and they’re really quite --”

“Ignis.”

“Yes?” the younger man blinked up at him again.

“Relax,” Ravus said. “There’s no need to fuss.”

To his utter surprise, Ignis blushed. “I’m not fussing.”

“If you say so.” His lips curled into a near-smile. “But you mentioned breakfast in the east gardens, yes?”

  


* * *

  


“So,” Ignis began, looking at him over the rim of his coffee cup. “I don’t think I’ve thanked you yet for agreeing to um, well. To marry me.”

It was Ravus’s turn to blink. “You’re getting married against your will and you’re thanking me?”

“Well it’s not _really_ against my will because I expressly gave my consent, didn’t I?” Ignis gave him a small smile.

“Don’t be smart,” Ravus couldn’t help his exasperation. “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” Ignis said earnestly. “It’s not an ideal situation for either of us, obviously, but I also don’t want to impose this duty upon someone else. So thank you for undertaking this with me.”

Everything seemed so simple when Ignis put it that way -- it was their duty. To Insomnia, to Tenebrae, to the whole Kingdom of Lucis. He’d been groomed at a young age to serve, to fulfill a duty, and what was this marriage, indeed, than another way to serve his purpose.

“I understand,” he said after a long moment. “But don’t thank me yet. We still have the Marshal to contend with, remember?”

“Oh, he’ll come around. If not, I’m not above emotional blackmail and appealing to his own sense of duty. Maybe throw around hints of applying for emancipation.” Ignis winked.

Ravus breathed an incredulous “Huh.” Then he shook his head with a small smile of his own. “You’re quite something, aren’t you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you.” Ignis punctuated the statement with a sip of coffee.

A deep silence reigned between them then, broken only by the twittering of birds and the light rushing of an autumn breeze through the flowers. It made Ravus pensive, thought after thought flitting in and out of his mind, thousands of details making their way to the forefront. And then something struck him for the first time, a matter so glaringly important he couldn’t believe he didn’t think of it -- he’d been so focused on his own feelings about the matter. 

“Do you have… someone in your life right now?” He remembered the mutinous expressions of both the Prince of Lucis and his Shield and felt an odd twinge in his gut.

Ignis jumped at the sudden question and very nearly spilled his coffee. He clutched the cup more securely in both hands as if to shield himself from Ravus’s gaze. “Pardon?”

“Are you involved with someone?” Ravus took a deep breath to compose himself. “It’s quite alright if you don’t want to answer. I just don’t want to…” He doesn’t want to what?

“Ah,” Ignis said delicately. “I’ve never been…” He cleared his throat. “There’s no one. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Not even someone you’d like to pursue?” Ravus pressed.

“There’s no one, Ravus. Truly. I’ve been so focused on my duties to Noctis that I haven’t really given romance much thought.” Ignis shrugged. “What about you? Do you have someone waiting for you in Tenebrae?”

“No. There used to be but...” His mind brought forth an image of fair skin, silvery hair, and green eyes for a fleeting second, and he allowed himself a few moments of wistfulness.

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Ignis looked down into his coffee cup.

“Don’t be,” Ravus said. “It never would’ve worked out between us. We were too young and thoughtless and much too alike.”

“For what it’s worth, I hope things would be better for us,” Ignis said softly. He backtracked immediately when Ravus arched an eyebrow and he seemed to realize how his words sounded. “I didn’t mean for us to… what I meant was that --”

Ravus laughed and it felt refreshing after weeks of worrying and thinking too much. “I know what you meant, Ignis.” Then he stood up, carefully plucked a stalk of a particularly blue bloom of sweet pea, and handed it to Ignis with a wink. “Don’t tell Her Majesty, all right? If she’s anything like Mother, she’ll have my head for picking her flowers.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sweet peas mean "thank you for the lovely time." Also, Ravus's casual outfit is based on this [commission artwork by Soulmarshal for marmolita](http://soulmarshal.tumblr.com/post/177782402666/casual-ravus-commissioned-by-marmolita). 
> 
> Holler at me on Tumblr! I'm [@raidelle](https://raidelle.tumblr.com) there, too! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravus is getting married tomorrow and the thought terrifies him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ravus Week 2018, Day 7: Gardens of Tenebrae
> 
> This got a little feelsy, I think. But I'm quite happy with it and I hope you will be, too!

Tomorrow. Ravus would be married tomorrow.

He thought he’d already come to terms with it. In the three months he’d been given to manage his affairs, he’d done all he could to ease the transition. Moving to Insomnia, choosing his successor as High Commander of the Tenebraean Peace Corps, familiarizing himself with the ins and outs of the Lucian Minor Council he’d soon be a part of, even getting to know Ignis (and his friends, Shiva have mercy) better -- he’d thought that all of the busy work would help him feel more reassured of his place, of the significance of this marriage in ushering a new age of peace.

He’d thought wrong. The busy work only served to hide his terror behind a veneer of confident calm. Now that it was so close, now that his future loomed before him, his terror clawed at the pretense and broke free with a vengeance.

“Gods,” he muttered. Ravus threw an arm over his eyes to block the world for a while, and wished he could as easily make his dread disappear.

“Ravus, are you still awake? It’s me.”

Luna arrived with their mother two days ago to attend the ceremony, at the behest of Emperor Aldercapt. It was a petty move from Niflheim -- ensuring that both the King of Lucis and the Oracle are there to witness one last show of power -- but Lunafreya insisted that they’d both wanted to be here for him anyway.

Ravus wasn’t sure how he felt about it. Marriage had been quite low in his list of priorities, but he’d always imagined he’d want his family there if he ever _did_ get married. Now that he was, he felt like sending them away. Perhaps it was because everything was just a charade, a performance to appease a powerful foe and not something borne out of love. 

With a huge sigh, Ravus got up from his bed and padded barefoot to the door. He opened it to find Luna smiling up at him and bearing a tray with two large mugs of hot chocolate. “I thought you might need this,” she said. “And some sisterly love.”

“Oh really?”

“Mm hmm,” she hummed, making a beeline toward the sofa. After placing the tray on the coffee table, she kicked off her shoes, sat with her feet up on the cushions, and claimed one side to lean against the armrest. “Come sit with me.”

Ravus shook his head fondly. “I missed you.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before sitting down. “How was your trip?”

“Uneventful. Quite tiring, though. I’ve forgotten how long it took to get to Insomnia using the old railways.”

Ravus had to smile at that. “Mother still doesn’t like the airships? They’re not quite so dangerous, you know.”

“You know how she likes her comforts,” Lunafreya shrugged. “Trains give her time to luxuriate.”

“Of course.” He picked up one of the mugs and took a sip of hot chocolate. It was smooth, sweet, and warm. Like an embrace, he thought idly. He took another sip and lapsed into silence.

Luna studied him for a long moment before finally breaking the quiet. “How are you, Ravus? How are you feeling?”

“I’m terrified,” he admitted. Because with Luna, there was no need to pretend. “Everything I’ve ever faced before, I either prepared for it with research or field training. But this?” He shook his head and laughed bitterly.

“There have been very few things in which we’ve been given a choice, Luna,” he continued. “Choosing the person I would marry, or even if I wanted to marry was one of those things and even that was taken from me.”

“Oh, Ravus.” Luna pulled him onto her lap and began combing gentle fingers through his hair.

“I’m terrified and I’m angry and I just…” he sighed. “I know it serves a greater purpose and I thought I’ve already made my peace with it but I…”

“I don’t know what to say to make you feel better,” Luna said sorrowfully. “But things will always work out in the end. Have faith in that.”

“Did you know that I used to dream about getting married in the sylleblossom garden?” Ravus said after a while. With his eyes closed and the scent of his sister -- the scent of childhood and his home -- he could clearly picture the thousands of blue flowers that symbolized fervor and devotion.

“With Aranea?”

“Not particularly,” he said. For all the sparks of attraction between them, Ravus had never really dreamed of marrying Aranea Highwind. “Just… someone that I loved and couldn’t live without for the rest of my life.”

“Well, you _are_ quite the romantic under that prickly exterior of yours, so I wouldn’t say that I’m the least bit surprised.” Luna tapped his nose playfully.

Ravus only smiled. He sat back up, feeling marginally better, and picked up his mug again. “This is quite good,” he said after another mouthful. “Did you suddenly develop culinary skills for the occasion?”

“Oh, shut up!” Luna said with a little laugh. “If you must know, I went to the kitchens to fetch us something to drink and met Ignis there, baking up a storm.”

“It’s kind of late for that, isn’t it?” He glanced at the clock, which showed quarter to midnight, then at the connecting door of their suites.

“I told him that.” She leaned forward to pluck the other mug from the tray. An appreciative hum escaped her throat as she savored the drink. “But he said baking helps him relax.”

Ravus chuckled. “Of course it does.”

Luna gave him another scrutinizing gaze. “He’s quite lovely, isn’t he,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

“He is,” Ravus answered without thinking.

Luna hid her smile behind her mug.  
  


* * *

  


“Your Highness? Your mother is here to see you.” Lillian opened the door of his little holding room and ushered the Queen of Tenebrae inside.

“For the last time, Lillian, please stop calling me that.”

His answer was the slamming of the door. A muffled “Five minutes, Your Majesty,” followed.

Queen Sylva laughed merrily. “I should make this quick then.”

“What is it, Mother?”

“Something blue.” She reached inside the folds of her gown and withdrew a delicate glass box. Inside was a fresh sylleblossom in full bloom, fashioned into a boutonniere.

Ravus’s heart caught in his throat as she fastened the flower onto his lapel. “Mother, I --” 

“These Insomnians are quite fond of black, aren’t they?” Queen Sylva said with a rather un-queenly _tsk_. She looked at his suit -- a fine three-piece all in black, down to the buttons.

Ravus sighed. “It’s their color, Mother.”

“And blue is ours. You are a son of Tenebrae, Ravus. No matter what.” She patted his chest, her hand just beside the sylleblossom.

Just then, Lillian knocked on the door and opened it a fraction to peek in. “It’s time to go, Your Majesty. They’re nearly ready to begin,” she said.

Queen Sylva nodded and turned to leave. Ravus, throat still too tight to speak, caught his mother’s hand and gave it a kiss. Then he stepped forward and enveloped her in a crushing embrace.  
  


* * *

  


It felt like an eternity before Lillian finally gave him his signal. Ignis had just stepped out of his own holding room at the other end of the short hall, and the sight of him somehow calmed the stuttering of Ravus’s heart.

They walked toward each other as instructed, meeting at the double doors that would lead them out onto the roofdeck of Caelum Via.

“Are you ready?” Ignis asked him.

Ravus closed his eyes and imagined the gardens of home, dappled sunlight on fields of blue. He took Ignis’s hand in his and held on tight. “Yes, I am.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated! :)
> 
> If you want to holler at me on Tumblr, I'm [@raidelle](https://raidelle.tumblr.com) there, too. ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There were a lot of things Ravus expected out of this arranged marriage. Years of posturing, the Empire’s incessant reminders of what their agreement entailed, a constant stream of regrets and what ifs.
> 
> Falling in love with Ignis Scientia -- his husband in said arranged marriage -- wasn’t one of those expectations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the change in rating. Which will probably also change in the next two chapters. :P
> 
> This chapter and all succeeding ones are no longer from Ravus Week 2018 prompts. I just wanted to continue writing the story because let's face it, these two dorkses are just too hard to resist. ;)
> 
> If you're still here, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy reading.

_ONE YEAR LATER..._

There were a lot of things Ravus expected out of this arranged marriage. Years of posturing, for one. The Empire’s incessant reminders of what their agreement entailed and the consequences of a crack in the perfect facade. A constant stream of regrets and what ifs.

Falling in love with Ignis Scientia -- his husband in said arranged marriage -- wasn’t one of those expectations.

He had tried to reason himself out of it. It was the proximity. It was the growing familiarity. It was the mug of warm milk with cinnamon that always appeared on his desk during sleepless nights. It was the sparkle of humor and light of understanding in brilliant green eyes, the beautiful smile on surprisingly sensual lips, and the…

Ravus sighed and put his head in his hands. Yes, he was in love. There’s no other way around it. He supposed it was inevitable after months of being married to the man, arranged or not. Ignis was attractive, whip-smart, kind and loyal to a fault, a bit headstrong like himself but not entirely close-minded, and…

Gods, he was doing it again. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. If Lunafreya could see him now, she would tease him mercilessly. “I told you so,” she’d probably say in that sing-song voice she used to do when they were little.

“Ravus? Are you alright?”

Ignis had caught him rubbing his eyes and was looking at him in concern from across the room, standing on his side of the doorway that connected their suites. That door now stayed permanently open between them. It was the only change they’d made since they’d gotten married, one of the few things that made them feel more at ease with their arrangement and helped them keep up appearances.

The question made him laugh, a self-deprecating sound trapped in his mind. Was he alright? _Oh, if you only knew Ignis._ He opted for a non-answer instead. “I just need to read and sign a few more pages.”

“The new immigration policy from the Foreign Affairs Council?” Ignis stepped over the threshold but went no further.

Ravus huffed a tired little laugh. “How did you know?”

“You have a little…” Ignis wrinkled his eyebrows just so.

“What was that?” Ravus said, puzzled and amused by the expression Ignis just made.

“Your brows furrow a certain way when you’re dealing with something from Councilman Mellor,” Ignis said with a small shrug.

“They do?” His brows actually did furrow then.

“Mmm,” Ignis hummed noncommittally. “Do you really have to sign off on those tonight?”

“I believe so. These are up for review by the High Council by nine tomorrow.” Ravus sighed and scribbled his signature on yet another dotted line.

“I see. Do you want me to help you with anything? Summarize a report, maybe? I can whip up a mug of --”

“Just you.” He held out his hand.

“Beg pardon?” Ignis looked like he was about to bolt.

“Come here and keep me company, please.”

“Oh!” Ignis blushed, a sheepish look on his face. “I thought you were… I mean, of course.”

“Thank you,” Ravus said as Ignis sat down on one of the plush chairs in front of the massive desk. “This won’t take long, I promise.”

“It’s alright. I don’t have anything to do for the rest of the night anyway,” Ignis said with a small smile. “Are you sure you don’t want anything from the kitchens?”

“I’m sure,” he replied, offering the younger man a quick glance and a warm smile before he returned to perusing the last remaining document he needed to study and sign.

For a while, there was only the sound of turning pages and the faint scratch of graphite on paper; Ignis, not one for idle hands, had taken out his ever-present notebook and pencil and began writing. Ravus wanted to know what they were, what words were blooming on the pages under those slender fingers and --

“Ravus?”

His name, carried on a rich, accented voice, jolted him out of his reverie. “What?” he said abruptly.

“You’re staring. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine. Perhaps just a little more tired than I’d initially assumed.” He put down his pen and massaged his temples.

"Then just put these off for tomorrow. Wake up a bit earlier to finish them,” Ignis insisted. He put away his notebook and pencil back into his pocket, then stood up to help clear away the documents. “You said so yourself, you only have a few more pages to go.”

“Ignis, stop that.” Ravus caught Ignis’s wrist in a light but secure hold. “I told you, there’s no need to fuss.”

“If you don’t get up from that chair and go to bed, you will see how much worse I can get when I’m really, truly fussing.” Ignis said unhappily, though he didn’t remove Ravus’s grip on his wrist.

Ravus didn’t really know what came over him -- months of pent-up desire, maybe? -- but he stood up then, pulled Ignis toward him, and leaned in for a kiss.

To say Ignis was startled was an understatement. His eyes widened, his mouth fell open in a broken gasp, and his body went taut like a bowstring. The folder in his slackened hand fell away and scattered papers back into a mess on the floor.

Ravus stopped before their lips touched and he could’ve sworn he heard Ignis mewl in disappointment. Or maybe that was just his imagination.

“Why did you…” Ignis began, but didn’t finish. His breaths were quick, as if he’d been running.

“I’m sorry. That was terribly presumptuous of me to think that you…” Ravus cleared his throat.

Ignis surprised him by pulling him down by the collar and kissing him in earnest. His tongue was an insistent thing, pushing against his lips, so Ravus opened his mouth and sucked greedily. Ignis moaned and cupped Ravus’s face in his hands, standing on tiptoe to keep their mouths fused.

This kiss had been burning on their lips since that first and only one they’d shared and now it felt as if their bodies were compelling them to make up for all the lost time. So they kissed and kissed some more, with fervor and longing and all-consuming want that made Ravus ache. He wrapped one arm around a slender waist to keep their bodies pressed tight, the other he used to support Ignis’s back and neck so he can deepen the kiss as he pleased.

Astrals, it was glorious. He should have done this a long time ago.

When they pulled apart for air, Ignis looked up at him in wonder. A fierce blush painted his cheeks, as if he didn’t have his tongue plundering Ravus’s mouth just moments before.

“I… that was…” Ignis was already backing away.

“Ignis, please don’t --”

“You should, um, you should rest. Get some sleep.” He knelt to pick up and place the documents back in the folder, keeping his head down as he worked. “You have an early day tomorrow.”

“Ignis.” Ravus wanted to reach for him. Wanted to kiss him again. Wanted to hold him all night and bask in his warmth. He wanted a lot of things.

Ignis put the folder on top of the desk. Then he breezed across the suite, his gaze averted until he got into his own room. Then he looked back, a touch of sadness in those green eyes, and said softly, “Good night, Ravus.”

The soft snick of the door closing between them made Ravus’s heart clench painfully in his chest.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next two chapters may take a bit longer. I only had a bunch of free days the past week, but it's full-tilt for me at work from now on, so I hope you'll be patient with me.
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr [@raidelle](https://raidelle.tumblr.com)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been seven days since Ignis shut the door. On the eighth night, Ravus finally plucked a string of courage and knocked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know what happened here. It was supposed to be angsty and then it became a whole other thing. T^T  
> (So of course, Chapter 6's draft became a whole other thing, too.)
> 
> Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

It had been seven days since Ignis shut the door. Seven torturous days, in which Ravus tried to knock then backed away, again and again, practicing words that felt leaden on his tongue and sounded pathetic in his ears.

_Ignis, please open the door._

_Ignis, please talk to me._

_Ignis, please tell me what to do to fix this._

_Ignis, please. I’m in love with you._

But Ravus was a coward and every day that the door stayed shut was a stark, cruel reminder of it.

He couldn’t even escape the fact within the labyrinth of the Citadel. Gladiolus had become particularly aggressive in training; he had yet to beat Ravus, true, but the last session ended in a draw for the very first time. Noctis, on the other hand, stayed as indifferent as ever but with an iciness in his demeanor that was worthy of Shiva herself. Even Prompto, the Prince’s best friend and one of the new recruits of the Crownsguard, gave Ravus odd looks during the few times they’d met.

And then there was Cor. The Marshal had sent a message with Lillian, asking Ravus to drop by for a quick meeting. It turned out to be a terse and quick one-sided conversation in which the Marshal said in a vaguely threatening tone: “Don’t make me regret signing my name on that Astrals damned contract.”

Lunafreya even sent Umbra to him, which was an extremely rare occurrence. The messenger bore three stalks of sylleblossom tied together with a green ribbon. The note that accompanied the flowers was short and pointed. _Tell him how you feel, Ravus, and let your heart be content._

He gave Umbra an affectionate pat on the head and then the dog was gone.  
  


* * *

  
_Let your heart be content._

On the eighth night, Ravus finally plucked a string of courage. He stood for a long minute in front of the door, a hand laid on its surface as if to touch Ignis, before he knocked.

“Ignis, are you still awake? May I please talk to you?”

Ravus waited for a minute that stretched into eternity before he spoke again. “Ignis, are you there?” He pressed his forehead onto the wood. “Can we just… talk? Please?” His voice cracked on the last word.

It nearly unbalanced him when the lock clicked and the knob finally, finally turned, even more so when the door opened and revealed Ignis to him. His breath caught and he swayed on the spot, dizzy with longing.

“Ignis,” he breathed. “Ignis.”

Ignis looked up at him for a few heartbeats and then looked away again. “We can meet at the main reception hall at seven thirty tomorrow night. Crowe will be driving us.”

“What?” He couldn’t process what Ignis had just said. Seven thirty? Crowe will be driving them? Driving them where?

“I assume you wanted to confirm some details regarding the grand reopening of the Lucian Museum of History? That’s tomorrow and we sent our RSVP a month ago.”

“I don't give a –” Ravus was incredulous and hurt. This was what Ignis thought he’d wanted to talk about? “We can cancel, for all I care. Bahamut knows we went to enough of those things in the past year.”

“We need to keep up appearances, Ravus,” Ignis said and the flat tone cut him deep. “The Empire is watching.”

Ravus let out a growl of frustration. “I don’t care about the Empire, Ignis! I just want to…”

Ignis waited for him to get his thoughts in order, gazing at him with sad eyes. “I want to try, Ignis,” he finally said and his voice trembled and broke. “I want to try. See if we can…”

“If we can what?”

“Be more. Be more than this.”

“I don’t even know what ‘this’ is, Ravus,” Ignis said. He shook his head and turned away, moving to close the door.

“I’m in love with you!”

The declaration shocked them both. Ignis whirled, his expression a mix of incredulity and what Ravus wished was hope. “What?”

Ravus had never said the words out loud before, even if he knew it was the truth. Now that he had given it a voice, the reality of it hit him like a vicious punch to the gut. “I’m in love with you,” he said again, softer now but with more conviction. “I’m in love with you and I want for us to try.”

“Please don’t say that,” Ignis said with a shake of his head. He clutched his arms and curled in around himself. “Not if you don’t mean it.”

Seeing Ignis react that way was agony and it spurred Ravus into action. He stepped forward and into Ignis’s room – for the very first time since they’d been married – and pulled him into his arms. “I mean it. Every single word, I mean it.” He bent his head and buried his face into soft, ash brown hair, indulging in the scent of coffee and cinnamon and something distinctly Ignis that smelled like solace.

“Ravus,” Ignis said. His name sounded like a plea in that voice, and it called to something primal within him.

He put his hands on Ravus’s chest, as if to push him away, and Ravus’s instinct was to pull him even closer and tighter. “Ignis, please don’t shut me out. Please give me a chance.”

“Ravus,” Ignis said again. He pressed his hands more firmly onto Ravus’s chest. “Loosen your hold a little, I need to breathe.”

Ravus eased off his embrace though he kept his arms still looped around Ignis’s waist. “I’m sorry,” he said. He sighed and nuzzled Ignis’s brow.

Ignis smiled softly. “It’s fine. As long as you’re not sorry for… being in love with me.”

“Don’t be absurd.”

A little rueful laugh bubbled out of Ignis. “I just can’t – it’s a little difficult to believe that you…”

“That I’m in love with you?” It was so easy to say it now. He’d say it everyday if Ignis asked him to. He’d say it everyday anyway because he wanted to.

“Yes.”

“Why?” He trailed a finger down Ignis’s cheek, and he delighted at the shiver he elicited.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way, was it? I wasn’t supposed to… We weren’t supposed to…”

“We weren’t supposed to,” Ravus agreed with a whisper. Ignis didn’t say it, but he understood nonetheless. It was what he’d steadily been doing for months without realizing it, after all: falling in love. “We weren’t supposed to. But we did, anyway.”

He cradled Ignis’s face in both hands and slowly, carefully tilted it up to bring their faces close enough to share breaths. “I am in love with you, Ignis Scientia, and I want for us to try. To see where this leads.”

Ignis gazed at him, green eyes swimming with emotion. “Alright,” he said. “I want to try, too. Give this, _us_ , a chance.”

Ravus pressed their foreheads together and asked, “May I kiss you?”

“Yes. Yes, you may.”

This time, it was Ravus who pulled Ignis toward him. There was barely any distance to cover, close as they already were. But it was as if his subconscious now loathed any space between their bodies, and the small action satisfied something within him all the same and made his entire being sing.

The kiss started unhurried, languorous even. It was like a prelude to something more, something grand, and Ravus took the time to enjoy the feeling of their lips simply touching. And then slowly, slowly, the heat built. Their mouths opened, tongues engaged in a graceful dance. Teeth nipped at pliant lips, hot breaths fanned at flushed cheeks.

And then, like his namesake, Ignis burst aflame. He pressed himself impossibly closer to Ravus, one hand at his neck and the other behind his head, fingers tight around a fistful of white-blonde hair. He moaned as he swiped his tongue into Ravus’s mouth, spurred by an answering growl and the arms that snaked around his waist. 

“Gods, you’re intoxicating,” Ravus panted when they separated for a breath.

Ignis smiled up at him, desire burning in his eyes. “So are you.” Daringly, he licked Ravus’s chin before surging up for another fiery kiss.

“Stay with me tonight?” Ravus asked. He finally let go of Ignis, as he gently pulled him toward the direction of his room, and the distance was almost disconcerting.

Ignis didn’t move, though. “We’re already in my room, so I think you mean that the other way around?” he said, playful and coy, as he pulled Ravus into the other direction and further into his room.

“You’re quite pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” Ravus laughed, even as he let himself be led.

“Hmm,” Ignis hummed. He spun around and ran his hands up Ravus’s chest, slow and sensuous, before settling them on his nape. “So you’ll stay with me tonight?”

_Forever, if you’ll have me._

“Of course.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and support for this fic. One more chapter to go! I hope you'll stick around.
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr [@raidelle](https://raidelle.tumblr.com) :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ravus and Ignis attend the opening gala of the Lucian Museum of History. They share quite a few kisses along the way, and they just couldn't stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This chapter took a while. I'm sorry it took so long to update. ^^;
> 
> Also, if you've noticed, I've upped the chapter count yet again. My mind is a fickle thing. _sigh_
> 
> If you're still here, thank you so much. I hope you enjoy this ridiculously sappy chapter.

Ravus had been wearing suits all his life - it was part and parcel of being born into a political family with a storied legacy - but it's only now that he's been truly deliberate about choosing what he wore and mindful of how he looked. 

He didn't really need to impress Ignis, of course; he's already married to the man, after all. But his vanity has made its presence known and now wouldn't be ignored, perhaps because tonight is going to be the first time that they'd be making a public appearance without the threat of the Empire looming over them. Perhaps because this time, there would be no pretensions. Everything would be real and would stay real, long after the night is over.

Ravus shakes his head with a small smile, checks his reflection one last time in the full-length mirror in his closet, and decides that he's done enough primping. He strides toward the blessedly open door between their rooms and knocks on the frame, a combination of eagerness and nervousness in his system.

“Ignis? Are you nearly ready?” 

“Yes, I'll be right -” Ignis walks into view and he stops speaking the moment he lays eyes on Ravus. A blush paints his cheeks crimson and his mouth falls open in a silent gasp. 

The reaction is pleasing, but it also makes Ravus a little self-conscious. “Should I change? Do you want us to match?” He'd elected to wear a sylleblossom-blue suit with a pale cream tie, but maybe it would be better if he changed to something more subdued. 

It takes a while for Ignis to recover his voice “Oh,” he finally manages to say. “No, you don't have to do that. You look… You look magnificent.” He blushes again and Ravus finds it endearing. 

“You're quite adorable when you blush,” he says. “And you look exquisite.” His husband - and oh, how Ravus's heart thrilled to even just think the word - is wearing a wine-colored suit with a matching shirt, and a silver-gray vest and tie. The combination is daring but Ignis pulls it off flawlessly, the red of the fabric bringing out the bright green of his eyes.

“You're too much,” Ignis replies. He looks away in apparent embarrassment and Ravus gently tips the beloved face back toward him again.

“Just being honest,” Ravus says softly. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yes,” Ignis says. “Shall we?”

Ravus offers his arm and Ignis takes it without second thought.  


* * *

  
They arrive at the Lucian Museum of History to the blinding, flashing lights of the press. The King and Queen are unable to attend, making Ravus and Ignis the official representatives of the Crown instead of simply Houses Nox Fleuret and Scientia, and thus are given more attention than usual. 

“Did you often deal with this kind of thing in Tenebrae?” Ignis asks. He stands on tiptoes and places his lips close to Ravus's ear to make himself heard, and the cameras flash to capture the seemingly intimate moment.

Ravus steers them carefully away from the gaggle, using his height and breadth to find the quickest path. He answers only when they were at the main doors of the museum and a uniformed guard had taken their invitation and checked their identities. “Does that answer your question?”

Ignis chuckles. “Show off.”

Ravus straightens his jacket as they make their way through the marble portico. “I often escorted Mother and Luna to these events. It's lucky, I guess, that they are more important than I am so the press usually focuses on them. I learned how to dodge the vultures when I attended alone on their behalf.”

“Please don't say that.” Ignis stops walking and tightens his hold on Ravus's hand.

“Don't say what?” Ignis's mouth is pulled into a frown and Ravus, for the life of him, couldn't recall what he'd just said to cause that frown. 

“That you're not… That Queen Sylva and the Lady Lunafreya are more important than you.” Ignis says. He keeps his eyes averted, staring straight toward the museum's atrium.

“Ignis, I…”

“They may have bigger roles to fulfill but you're not… You're important.”

Ignis finally looks at him, and Ravus is struck by the intensity in those green eyes.

“Ignis, I didn't say that I’m…” Ravus takes a deep breath. How to explain? “I've long accepted the fact that I'm always going to be secondary wherever Mother and Luna are concerned. It's one of the reasons why, when I was younger, I've always been… headstrong, I suppose. Too much, by design, so that people would have something to notice me by.”

“Oh, Ravus…” Ignis sighs.

He only smiles, a little rueful and pained. “Even now, I feel as if Tenebrae has forgotten me.”

“I'm sorry. Our marriage… Me convincing you to go ahead with it, in particular, played a big part in that, I'm afraid.” Ignis returns his pained smile.

This time, it's Ravus who says, “Please don't say that.” He pulls Ignis closer to press a gentle kiss on soft lips. “Tenebrae is always going to be home. But being with you here… somehow, it ceases to matter whether or not I am remembered there at all.”

“You,” Ignis says with a small grin, jabbing his index finger on Ravus's chest. “You are a smooth talker.”

Ravus couldn't help the laugh that erupted out of him. “Just being honest,” he says again.

“I apologize for being so maudlin earlier.” Ignis starts drawing circles on his chest, and Ravus finds the action terribly distracting. “I was just… Well, you're quite important to me. I love you and I couldn't let anyone talk about the man I love that way. Even if it is --”

“Say it again,” Ravus cuts Ignis off.

“Say what… oh!” Another blush creeps up Ignis's cheeks. “I love you,” he repeats almost shyly, and Ravus is struck by how beautiful Ignis looks, and so very young beneath the carefully styled hair and impeccable clothes.

“I love you, too,” Ravus says back. He cups his husband's cheeks, bringing his face up for a kiss, a soft and gentle one that quickly turns into a heated meeting of lips and tongues. 

Ravus is content to just kiss Ignis, maybe pull him just a little bit closer to feel his smaller body mold onto his, but a pointed cough snaps him out of his love-crazed trance.

“There are a lot of telephoto lenses out there, my lords,” the guard tells them with a sheepish smile. “And uh…” he gestures weakly at the surroundings. 

Ignis pulls back from Ravus with another fierce blush. He looks around guiltily, surprised at the number of people that seem to have eddied around their little bubble of space. “Well…” he says, with a tiny “ahem”. He fiddles with Ravus’s lapels and Ravus laughs at the fussing.

“Well,” Ravus echoes. “We best get going then. It doesn’t make a good impression as representatives of the Crown if we’re quite late, does it?”

“Hmm.” Ignis nods. He straightens Ravus’s tie and smiles. “And the sooner we make our appearances, the sooner we can go back and…” he shrugs and his lips quirk in a sly, playful smile.

“Let’s get going, then.”  


* * *

  
Crowe takes one look at them rushing down the stairs of the museum, and immediately puts up the privacy screen as soon as they close the door of the backseat. Ravus gives an uncharacteristic snort, Ignis laughs, and they share only a chaste kiss before lowering the screen.

“Ugh, no, put it back up,” Crowe groans. “You’re like my little brother, Ignis, I don’t want to see you sucking face with your husband.”

Ravus just reaches for Ignis and puts their clasped hands on his lap. “The uh, ‘sucking face’ won’t happen until later, Miss Altius.”

“Okay. One, it’s just Crowe. Two, there are already pictures of you _sucking face_ circulating online, so I don’t believe you.” She eyes them suspiciously before stepping on the accelerator. Her desire to get rid of them as quickly as possible is evident in the way the car lurches forward.

Ignis is already scrolling through his phone, looking at the said pictures. “Gods,” he groans, though it’s half-hearted at best.

Ravus looks over curiously. “I like this one.” He taps twice on a photo to zoom in. In it, they aren't actually kissing but rather caught in between pulling back and nuzzling each other's noses. Their eyes are closed and their lips are close enough to kiss and curled into soft smiles.

“I like it, too,” Ignis says, looking up at Ravus with the same soft smile as in the photo.

Ravus locks gazes with Ignis, blue-and-purple fire meeting green. Then he clears his throat, says Crowe’s name in an almost commanding tone, and raises the privacy screen again. It has barely come all the way up when he’s surging for a kiss, deep and hungry.

They were back in the Citadel in half the time and Crowe has to rap sharply on their window before they noticed.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: @raidelle  
> Discord: @raidelle#3573
> 
> Thanks so much for sticking with me. I appreciate you all. <3


End file.
